Minn. Seismologist Weighs In On Japan Quake

By Courtney King, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan Friday causing a tsunami that swept debris miles inland and sparked fires in at least 80 locations.

Dozens of countries, including the U.S., are under a tsunami warning.

WCCO's Dave Lee Interviews Seismologist Justin Revenaugh

University of Minnesota Professor and Seismologist Justin Revenaugh said earthquakes in Japan are extremely common, but ones that exceed magnitude 8 are not.

"It takes an earthquake, a big shallow earthquake. The ones that can give you a Tsunami warning that cover an entire ocean basin are really only once a decade type events," explained Revenaugh.

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• Japan
• Earthquake